News

Court Fixes Hearing For N50m Suit Qgainst AGF, Finance Minister Over Alleged Salary Seizure

Published

3 years ago

October 31, 2022

The National Industrial Court in Abuja on Monday fixed December 7 and 8 for the definite hearing of a N50m suit instituted against the Finance Minister, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and others over alleged unlawful salary seizure.

A senior staff of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mrs Bilkisu Okenne Sanusi in the suit is alleging abuse of government powers to illegally and unlawfully withhold her salaries and entitlement for daring to expose corrupt practices being perpetuated in the Budget Office of the Federation (BoF).

Also joined in the suit marked NICN/ABJ/ 96/2022 as defendants are, the Head of Service of the Federation, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation and Accountant General of the Federation.

At Monday’s proceedings, the Director, Legal Services in the Budget Office, Mrs M. D Agada, representing the 2nd and 3rd defendants and Aliyu Abdulkadir, representing the Attorney General of the Federation told the court that they have filed a memorandum of appearance and their responses to the originating summons of the claimant.

However, the trial Judge, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi observed that the memorandum of appearance of the 4th defendant was without a stamp as required by law and ordered parties to file all necessary papers before December 7 and 8 fixed for definite hearing in the case.

The claimant had in her statements of facts alleged that she discovered monumental corrupt practices by some staff of the Ministry of Finance (3rd Defendant) in the office of the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation (2nd Defendant).

She claimed that the corrupt practice bothers on manipulation of budget proposals by MDAs, which she reported to the Director General and also alleged further that the 2nd Defendant, being her immediate boss, was complicit in the alleged acts.

Following open aggression against her person, the plaintiff said that she reported the matter to the Head of Service of the Federation (1st defendant) and the Ministry of Finance (3rd defendant) who also allegedly sailed in the same boat with the 2nd defendant.

The claimant averred that the issue led to the removal of her name from payment vouchers in addition to other efforts to frustrate her.

She alleged further that the 2nd defendant also without any justification caused her Secret and Open Files domiciled with the Budget Office of the Federation Registry to be removed and kept in an unknown place to frustrate her from proceeding on her retirement.

The claimant alleged that the 2nd defendant, in a bid to frustrate her also instructed his allies in the Finance department to withhold and deny her due financial and maternal benefits and rights incidental to her employment and office in the Budget Office of the Federation.

The claimant, therefore, wants the court to declare that “The termination of the Claimant’s salaries and entitlements prior and from the 26th November 2021 till date by the 1st, 2nd 3rd and 5th defendant is illegal, unlawful and gross abuse of governmental powers as such null and void and of no effect.

“That with-holding of the Claimant’s Secret and Open Files and fringe benefits, bonuses and Christmas, Easter and Sallah gifts and all other benefits howsoever called incidental to her position as a staff of the Budget Office of the Federation by the 2nd Defendant 1st is illegal, unlawful and a gross abuse of governmental powers as such, null and void and of no effect.

“That the 1st defendant lacks the power to impose punishment or suspension of salary on the Claimant safe as stipulated by the Public Service Rule which Rule must be adhered to as expressly stipulated as doing otherwise amounts to a nullity.”

She also seeks an order of the court “Compelling the defendants to pay the Claimant all her salaries, Entitlements, fringe benefits, bonuses and all benefits however called incidental to her position as a staff of the Budget Office of the Federation withheld by the defendants illegally and unlawfully amounting to N2, 214, 250 only.

“An order, compelling the 2nd defendant to forthwith release the Claimant’s Secret and Open File to enable her proceed with the processing of her retirement

“The sum of N50 Million only as exemplary damages in favour of the Claimant against the defendants having acted in bad faith against her.

News

Hope Rises As Ijaw Nation Wades Into Okomu Crisis

Published

6 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Editor

Photo: File copy

There seems to be solution at sight to the crisis bedeviling Okomu community in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State following the setting up of Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee by prominent Ijaw monarchs drawn from Edo, Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

The setting up of the Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee by the Ijaw kings followed a request by His Royal Majesty, Pius Yanbor, the Pere (king) of Okomu Kingdom to his Ijaw brothers peres (king), appealing to them to intervene in the crisis that had led to the burning of houses and loss of lives.

Worried by the crisis and the consequent appeal by HRM Pius Yanbor, the Ijaw peres (kings), namely, HRM, Oboro Gbaraun II, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State; HRM, Zacheus Egbunu, the Agadagba of Arogbo Kingdom, Ondo State; HRM, Capt. Frank Okiakpe, the Pere of Gbaraun Kingdom, Bayelsa State; HRM, Joel Ibane, the Pere of Iduwini Kingdom, Delta State; HRM, Godwin Ogunoyibo, the Pere of Olodiama Kingdom, Edo State; HRM, Gbebokedi Ajirioba, the Pere of Tubutoru Kingdom, Ondo State; HRM, Roman Bohan, the Pere of Furupagha Kingdom, Edo State, and HRM Stephen Ebikeme, the Pere of Oporomor Kingdom, Bayelsa State, in an acceptance memo of the Okomu king’s request which was made available to INFO DAILY stated: “We, the undersigned traditional rulers of Ijaw extraction, have unanimously aligned in agreement to take a deep dive into the crisis that has been rocking and bedeviling Okomu Kingdom for the past three years, with a view to providing respite and bringing lasting peace to the aforementioned kingdom.”

They continued: “This alignment however, is a fallout of a series of robust engagement amongst well-meaning and revered monarchs of Ijaw extraction, whose primary role in their various Kingdoms is to foster peace and unity.”

The Ijaw monarchs, thereafter, appointed Chief Sunday as the Chairman of the Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, High Chief Pascal Akpofagha as the General Secretary and 16 other notable Ijaw sons from various kingdoms as members.

The 18-member committee is saddled with the responsibility of interfacing with the warring parties in the kingdom with a view to restoring lasting peace to the kingdom.

The revered Ijaw monarchs further expressed their commitment to providing the necessary support and work with the committee within the ambit of the law in order to ensure peace and harmony return to Okomu Kingdom.

News

UN Flags 138 Million Kids In Global Child Labour Crisis

Published

9 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

Ahead of World Day Against Child Labour, a report released on Wednesday by the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund has shown that nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labour in 2024.

The figure included 54 million engaged in hazardous work that endangered their health, safety, and development.

“Today, nearly 138 million children are in child labour worldwide, down from 160 million four years ago.

“There are over 100 million fewer children in child labour today than in 2000, even as the child population increased by 230 million over the same period,” the report stated

World Day Against Child Labour is marked on June 12 every year and International Day of Play is marked on June 11.

The report revealed that while child labour had declined by more than 20 million since 2020, the world had missed its target of ending child labour by 2025.

It noted that since 2000, child labour had almost halved, yet current rates remained too slow.

To end child labour within the next five years, the report said the current rates of progress would need to be 11 times faster.

“While the elimination of child labour remains an unfinished task, there is some welcome news.

“After a concerning rise in child labour captured by the global estimates for 2020, a feared further deterioration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has not materialised, and the world has succeeded in returning to a path of progress.

“This success can be attributed to some well-known policy imperatives that, if sustained and scaled-up, could bring about an end to child labour,” the report stated.

It highlighted that the policies included ensuring free and high-quality schooling to provide a worthwhile alternative to child labour and help ensure successful transitions from school to decent work.

Others were equipping education systems to support the school-to-work transition, particularly for older adolescents who face heightened occupational safety and health risks in the labour market; strengthening legal protections against child labour, aligned with international standards to lay the groundwork for effective prevention and enforcement, among others.

The report also said targeted policies to end child labour must go hand in hand with broader development strategies.

“And to be fully effective, child labour concerns must be systematically mainstreamed into economic and social policy planning – from macroeconomic frameworks to labour market reforms and sectoral strategies.

“The latest estimates underscore the magnitude of the challenge of ending child labour. They also point to progress, and in doing so, affirm the possibilities.

“We have the blueprint for success – the right policies, adequate resources and unwavering commitment. Now is the time to act to free future generations from child labour,” it added.

News

Journalists’ Cooperative Society Announces Formal Take-off

Published

9 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Editor

The Innovative Media Partners Cooperative Multipurpose Society has announced its formal take-off.

The President of IMPCMS and Publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, made the announcement in a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to Oladipo, the formal commencement of activities followed the completion of all registration formalities and opening of a bank account.

The statement added that this also followed the approval of the Executive Committee of the IMPCMS, which now has the full compliments of members.

Apart from Oladipo, other members of the Executive Committee include Ugomma Cookey, a member of the Board of the Media Career Development Network, as Vice President; Nkanu Egbe, Publisher of Lagos Metropolitan, as General Secretary; Ijeoma Popoola, Editor with the News Agency of Nigeria, Financial Secretary; and Dolapo Otegbayi, a prominent media and marketing consultant, as Treasurer.

The Ex-Officio Members are media trainer, Taiwo Obe; and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WVL Development Advisers Limited and former Acting Managing Director/CEO of Bank of Industry, Dr. Waheed Olagunju.

To join the cooperative society, which is for practicing journalists and media professionals, would-be members are expected to fill a form, which can be obtained at the secretariat at 1, James Robertson Street, Surulere, Lagos.

For the electronic version of the form, the statement said a WhatsApp message can be sent to: 08023204836, or email to: nkanu.egbe@gmail.com.

The cost of membership was put at N10,000, which is payable into the cooperative society’s account with the United Bank for Africa: Innovative Media Partner Surulere Multipurpose Cooperative Society, with account number 1028258688.

Among the early financial members of the society are the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Eze Anaba; seasoned broadcaster, Anike-ade Funke Treasure; eminent journalist, Dr. Hope Orivri; Publishers of Oriental News, Chika Izuora and Yemisi Izuora; and Dayo Ojo.

All members of the Executive Committee of the IMPCMS have also become financial members.

The society was formed as a fallout of the Second Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in 2024, and organised by The Journalism Clinic, founded by Obe.